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Point Loma Beaches
The perfect ending at land's end.
At the end of a long day on the beach, drive out to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sun slip over the horizon. The sandstone bluffs blaze with color, and the waves sparkle like gold. If you're game for a little adventure, come early, drive out to the old Cabrillo Lighthouse and hike out to the tide pools by the point. There are in fact no real beaches on Point Loma and the swimming opportunities are poor and downright dangerous, but it's the only place in San Diego (aside from
La Jolla), where you can see waves crashing on the cliffs, precarious pinnacles rising from the water, and rocky reefs full of marine life. Sadly, neither many visitors nor residents make the trip to Sunset Cliffs, and it's likely that the only people you'll run into here are the surfers who come for The Cliffs' solitary breaks and sizable swells.
Traveling southbound on Sunset Cliffs Blvd. from Ocean Beach, the first noteworthy site you'll come upon is
Osprey Point. There's good fishing off the rocks here, and a textured retaining wall where rock climbers come to train.
Luscomb's is next, a surf break in the middle of a small bay with a rock spire near the shore where birds like to hang out. The unappetizingly named
Garbage reef belies the good surf spot where the road abruptly ends at Ladera Street. Beyond Ladera, one can drive or walk the rough road into Sunset Cliffs Park, where you'll find more quality surf spots at
AB's and
New Break. Beyond the southern limits of the park, the coast is wild and wooly, accessible only by boat. Hardcore surfers with boats head all the way to the tip, to the winter break called
Dolphin Tanks or the summer break called
Ralph's.
Directions
Take the 8 FWY west, left on Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Parking can be found in small unpaved turnouts on the seaward side of Sunset Cliffs, with curbside parking all along the inland side.
Offerings
The priceless view is yours for the taking, but that's all you get. No bathrooms, lifeguards, stores or restaurants of any kind. There's great scuba diving offshore in the kelp beds here, but a boat is the only practical way to explore them. For more info call: 619-221-8899.
Considerations
Point Loma is included in this guide only because of its beautiful scenery and excellent waves. If you didn't come to surf, your experience here should be a purely visual one.
Warning
You can get a good view from your car, but if you should decide to stop for a closer look, know that the sea cliffs here are constantly collapsing and eroding. Lifeguards are no strangers to Sunset Cliffs, so make their day and yours by staying behind the barriers and avoiding any urge to climb. If you did come to surf, be aware that three challenges await you: the surf itself which can be powerful on big swells and breaks close to the rocks in places; the local crowd which tend to be fiercely protective of their spots; and the cliffs which can make getting to and from the water an adventure all its own. If that sounds like a poor fit, try the fun beachbreaks back in
O.B. on for size.
Rating: 
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San Diego Beach Guide - San Diego's Best Beaches
